2016 Year of the Fire Monkey begins!

Let’s get down to monkey business. Here’s the MYSTIC MAMMA Astral Insights on 2016 Chinese and Tibetan Year of Monkey.

First from Chinese Astrologer and Doctor of Chinese Medicine Narrye Caldwell:

“Welcome to the Year of the Fire Monkey, which technically begins on February 8, 2016. (The Chinese Lunar New Year always begins on the second New Moon after the winter Solstice, in case you were wondering why it’s on a different date every year.)

“There are two significant energetic shifts that will affect everyone this year. The first is that we’removing into a Fire year after two Wood years.

“Wood is growth, enthusiasm, the innocence of youth and the pursuit of a vision. Wood qi is fresh and unformed. It has the drive to break through barriers, but it lacks wisdom and refinement, so can sometimes be unstable and reckless.

“Fire qi is the full expression of Wood’s vision. Fire brings forth the rose, lays the paint on the canvas, and gives voice to the songthat’s been forming in the depths of your heart.

“Fire is intense, passionate, and calls forth our need to connect with one another. In a Fire year, no longer satisfied with the pursuit of our dreams, we now can bring things into actuality. And as we see things manifest, we want to gather with our tribe, raise a glass and celebrate.

“But it’s important to remember that nothing is solid yet and there’s much to be done. In fact, the danger now is getting so excited by the brilliance of the flame you’ve created, that you forget to tend it properly and it quickly burns out for lack of enduring and consistent fuel.

“Fire is erratic and difficult to control. It can flicker precariously, burst into a dangerous conflagration, or settle into a nice steady hearth fire depending on how it’s managed.

“So that’s your first task this year—whatever you’ve created during the last two years, treat it now like precious tinder; protect it and blow on it very gently to nudge it into a nice steady flame; feed it with long burning fuel that will last.

“Don’t throw fast burning paper onto it just for the dazzling but short lived burst of heat and flame. Slow and steady now, will get you a more enduring result.

“All manner of apple carts could be turned over in the most surprising ways. This will be a test of your ability to stay calm and unruffled in the face of relentless and unexpected challenges.

“But remember—on the other side of chaos is magic and transformation. Be brave and keep your sense of humor; never forget that there’s spiritual gold at the end of the tale.

“How you handle the coming year is largely a matter of harmonizing your own nature with this Monkey qi…My advice is to conjure your own secret powers, (yes you each have at least one,) and think of yourself as the hero of your own myth.

“What part do you play in this year’s adventure? What’s your strategy? How resourceful can you be? Learn to see magic everywhere.”

“Using a delicious sense of humor, Monkey years hold outbright prospects of a fascinating future, rich in the unexpected. A year of transformations.A year of great change and a year of discovering your own resources…”

“A prime year to begin sizable enterprises, expansions and major cooperations. Business should shoot up under this year’s optimistic and hopeful influence. The resourcefulness in solving problems and dilemmas will be a pleasant surprise for all entrepreneurs.”

“…say farewell to the introspective Yin Wood Sheep year of 2015, and open up to the expansive Yang year of the amazing Fire Monkey!

“We have another ‘big shift’ year ahead. Switching from yin to yang, from the inner world to the big outdoors, is always a noticeable event, and when we add the expansive movement of the Fire element in bold Yang form to that shift, it becomes an even bigger jolt.

“Knowing how the Five Elements of Chinese medicine work together to support each other can assist us to flow into this shift more easily. We are leaving two years in a row of Wood energy, which encouraged us to stretch up into new and unexplored territory, to use our intuition and reach for fresh inspirations.

“During this time, dreams of new ways to live on the earth more sustainably presented themselves, and we were encouraged to use the inner compass of intuition to make some new choices, or at least to clear away any old, irrelevant debris that no longer served us well.

“We will now move through two years of the passionate and generous realm of heart-centered Fire. Wood feeds Fire in the nurturing cycle of the Five Elements, so any new choices or decisions made in the past two years will ripen and bear their fruits in 2016 and 2017.

“If we allowed our True Selves to make those choices, the harvest will be delightful to us, and the generous nature of Fire will encourage us to share the abundance of whatever we manifest.

“Wood energy is a bit idealistic, a bit airy, and shifting away from it and into Fire energy means getting down to business–Monkey business!

“Hold on to your hats, folks, the circus is about to begin. The Monkey is one of the most intelligent signs of the Chinese zodiac, with an unerring talent for snatching up the best opportunity in any situation…”

“The Monkey’s energy is highly innovative and opportunistic. The Fire element encourages collaboration and philanthropy. These qualities acting together on the global scene means we will see some truly amazing marvels of technology, with that Monkey expertise making it happen in real time…”

“Normally the self-interested Monkey year is not focused on community well-being, but the Fire element balances this, bringing in a passion for socializing and communicating heart-felt concerns.

“When we collaborate with others this year, we can turn that self-interest into profound social change, because what helps one, helps us all. This is an excellent year to meet with friends and neighbors to find innovative solutions to the most pressing local problems.

“The Fire Monkey loves this kind of hands-on problem-solving, especially when the goal is direct action rather than mere brainstorming. Keeping such work local and small-scale allows the human heart to open more directly and the magic of its generous spirit to pour out.

“Monkey energy is persistent, sometimes compulsive, and can be impatient with those who don’t see the solution as quickly. This is a good reminder to be patient with ourselves, and others.

“Be sure to make plenty of time for creative play, a favorite Monkey activity. Health-wise, pay closer attention to what you are ingesting. Avoid feeding the Fire of inflammation in the body, something the standard American diet already does to excess.

“Reduce excess Fire with the stable Earth-y actions of regular mealtimes and serenity around the table. Increase Water-y flow with calming yoga, tai ch’i, ch’i gong, and meditation. Add some deep breathing exercises into each day.

“The Yang energy of the year wants to fly up and out, so consciously pull down and in throughout the day to keep your balance.

“It promises to be a bonfire of a year, and through it all, the wily Fire Monkey will be skillfully swinging along, constantly looking ahead for the best opportunities to make his inspired dreams come true.

“As we collectively embody this Yang Fire Monkey energy in 2016, we can reach for the stars. The phrase ‘Carpe Diem’ says it all–seize the day! Large or small, profound or mundane, line up your desires this year and ACT on them.

“Let the Yang Fire Monkey energy carry you across the bridge between the seen and unseen worlds to reach those goals, for yourself and for us all.”